Denise Lutz, a native metro Detroiter, a pilot and car enthusiast, is coming home to celebrate the release of her first novel, “Thumbs,” and to unveil her “Heaven on Earth” collection of original nature photographs at the Robert Kidd Gallery at 107 Townsend St. in downtown Birmingham on Friday, Sept. 9, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
The book signing and photo exhibit celebration is open to the public and will feature light appetizers, wine and champagne, and live music performed by Oliva Dear. Lutz was married to longtime auto executive Bob Lutz, who worked at different times at GM, Ford, Chrysler, and elsewhere.
The comic thriller “Thumbs” tells the story of Catherine, who is desperate for more attention from Jack, “her stinking rich 80-year-old husband, the self-proclaimed inventor of sexting… whose new retirement hobby involves him with a blackmailing personal assistant, a dominating German housekeeper, strange Italian sausages, assassins wearing kinky boots, and a sadistic, revengeful killer.”
“Denise Lutz has the lightning-fast mind, razor-sharp wit, and fabulously dark sense of humor that would make masters of the craft from Hitchcock to Hiaasen giggle admirably,” says Erin Chandler, founder and editor of Rabbit House Press, the book’s publisher.
The Robert Kidd Gallery event will mark the official release of “Thumbs.” The novel retails for $24 and will be available at rabbithousepress.com, Ingram Publishing, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other local bookstores. Lutz will sign copies of all books purchased at the event.
The “Heaven on Earth” exhibit will feature 20 signed, limited-edition 1-of-1 original photographs taken at her Kentucky historic Glen Lake Farm, as well as locales in Michigan and Switzerland during the past few years.
“I’ve always loved the outdoors; nature is its own exquisite palette. Whether I am traveling, or leisurely strolling the grounds of my old Kentucky home, the ordinary becomes quietly extraordinary when I focus on the light,” says Lutz.
“I believe a good photograph evokes a wide range of emotions that tell the entire story of simple, yet magical, moments frozen in time. I hope people will be drawn in to mine, and as I do, sense the rich aromas of fresh cedar, grass, soil, and farm air.”
All net proceeds from the sale of Lutz’s photographs will benefit award-winning photojournalist Linda Solomon’s nonprofit, Pictures of Hope, an internationally recognized program in metro Detroit that helps children experiencing difficult life circumstances by putting a camera in their hands to express their thoughts, feelings, hopes, and dreams through photography.
“My photographs evoke peace, calm and tranquility, and focus on the beauty around us in the same way that the children who participate in the Pictures of Hope program are able to find beauty in the midst of hardship,” says Lutz, a longtime friend of Solomon’s. “It fills my heart to know that my photographs may help to improve their lives in some way.”
